Murder accused faces questions on outback killing

Detectives investigating the killing of British backpacker Peter Falconio in the Australian outback were last night waiting to question a man being held in custody more than 1,000 miles away on a separate murder charge.

The 29 year-old man, who has not been named, was arrested last week by police in New South Wales and charged with stabbing to death another person.

It is believed the name of the accused matched one of those on a list of people detectives in the Northern Territory want to interview in connection with the killing of Mr Falconio last July.

No other details about the man have been released except that he has no fixed address. He has appeared in court accused of murder by stabbing and was remanded in custody.

Mr Falconio, 28, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, is believed to have been killed by a gunman who tried to abduct his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, north of Alice Springs.

Ms Lees, from Brighton, the only witness to the attack, told police she had been tied up by the gunman but managed to escape him by hiding in scrub on the edge of the highway for six hours. Mr Falconio's body has never been found.

It is believed the name of the latest suspect was passed to the Alice Springs based police task force investigating Mr Falconio's murder several months ago. But it is only now, after his arrest, that they have been able to focus on any involvement he may have had in the Falconio killing.

The key to Mr Falconio's killing may lie in a spot of blood recovered from Ms Lee's jumper, as it is believed to be that of the attacker.

A sample of the blood is likely to be compared with that of a DNA swab taken from the man now being held by New South Wales police.

New South Wales deputy police commissioner Andrew Scipione last night confirmed a joint NSW-Northern Territory investigation was under way.

The NSW state government introduced new DNA laws two years ago to test all inmates in its custody in an effort to clear innocent men and women and link others to unsolved crimes.

Sydney police made a request to the state authorities at the weekend to allow them to exchange "forensic material" with NT counterparts.